


For Now and Forever

by FrenchCoyote



Category: Free!
Genre: It's really mostly Makoharu, M/M, Watch out for feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-25
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-01-26 13:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1689419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchCoyote/pseuds/FrenchCoyote
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amid the salty sea breeze, in the town where they grew up together, two bitter hearts were torn apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Easygoing Days

Our friendship, like the summer, will be eternal.

* * *

 

 It was well-known by many inhabitants of the town of Iwatobi that Makoto Tachibana and Haruka Nanase were the best of friends (even by the small white cat that enjoyed sitting in the sun, on the stairs). Since childhood, they had been inseparable. Makoto had, and still was, often seen trying to hide behind Haru, though it became less effective of a motion after he began growing much taller than his friend. 

 

Regardless of that, though, everyone was sure that their friendship would be a bond to last a lifetime. That their friendship could end? Nonsense. It was simply impossible, they said, just look at the two of them together. There's no way that people that close could ever break apart. 

 

* * *

 

It started when Rin came back.

To Rei, it seemed like Haruka had a bit of an obsession with Rin. He figured that perhaps, if he let Rin race with the team one last time, then Haruka's fixation might be lessened, and the blue-eyed boy would return to focusing on managing his own team. So Rei stepped aside for the sake of his team. 

Nagisa was glad to see his friend back. After all, it had been such a long time since they'd all seen him. It mattered not if Rin wasn't on their team; he had returned, and that was all that mattered. He'd never seen Haruka so concentrated on something (except that one time Nagisa had taunted him during a particularly dry summer with an inflatable pool), and thought that this drive might help Haruka perform better. Nagisa thought Haru was the best swimmer on the team. If competing against Rin led him to swim faster, then so be it, and screw the consequences!

As for Makoto, that same sentence echoed in his ears every time he looked at Haruka, looked at his friends, looked at Rin. "Haru, you still hang out with these guys?" It should have been forgivable, really. Even when they were kids, Makoto had never been one to hold any of Rin's blunt comments of great importance. Yet the phrase lingered in Makoto's mind. It was a constant bother. Makoto wanted to dismiss it, but for some reason he couldn't let it go. Those words, it seemed as though Rin thought them no more than trash, insignificant and, somehow, preventing Haruka from moving on with his life. It wasn't like that, Makoto wanted to tell him. Haruka was free to do as he wished. 

It didn't mean that they wouldn't miss him.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting out with a short little prologue first. I should probably mention that I do not hate Rin ( actually, I like his personality and his seiyuu is my favourite ), but I thought this would be possible to occur among our Iwatobi team.
> 
> For those of you concerned about what exactly the pairing is here, it's mostly Makoharu, but we'll see how it plays out...
> 
> So where did I get the inspiration from? Call me incredibly lame, but a few nights ago I had a dream that they had released a new Free! duet, though this one was very different from the others. I don't quite remember the title, perhaps it was something stupid like "Ending" or maybe "Eternal Friendship"; regardless, it was sung by Haruka and Makoto, and told the story of how their friendship had ended. I was woken up by the joys of an alarm on a school day before I could listen to the song, but I do remember the album art ( which I might try to draw ). 
> 
> At first I thought "Wow, that's the most idiotic dream I've had all week", but then I began thinking, what if their friendship ended for some reason? Throw in a little romance, different team members' points of view, and Shiokaze no Friendship, and I had the recipe for this story, "For Now and Forever". I've drawn a lot of inspiration from all sorts of music for this story, so see if you can catch your favourite songs in my writing! 
> 
> Please enjoy the story! I'll try to update it as often as I can. As of now, I'm not sure how the story will go, and I think I'm just going to let it write itself.


	2. Our Usual Pace

Friendship is a shape molded after us.

* * *

 

The urge to smile was too strong for Makoto to hold back as Haru’s hand slammed into the wall, a heartbeat ahead of the other swimmers. Forget the fact that they were disqualified, forget the fact that Rei didn’t get to swim, they had won, their team from the old days.

They hadn’t come very far, had they? Makoto thought to himself. Sure, they had changed, in some ways for the better and some ways for the worse, but it was somewhat surreal to see the four of them swimming in a relay again. Indeed, it was a though a family had been reunited. A dysfunctional family, even with Rei’s stability and logic, but a family nonetheless. Family and friendship meant a lot to Makoto. They were the bonds that held the world together. Without amity and love, there wasn’t much to bring joy to life.

Makoto reached out his hand, and helped Haru out of the water. The blue colour of the pool caused light to dance across Haruka’s eyes, slightly distracting and oh... “Haru-chan!” Nagisa, the boisterous one of the group, darted forward, followed by the rest of the team, to embrace the two of them.

* * *

 

“I thought you might want to see this, Makoto,” Rei said in that quiet and unintrusive way of his, and handed him a large ( and surprisingly heavy ) book. A photo album? Makoto couldn’t even remember there being a camera near any of their practices. “Courtesy of Kou,” Rei added, before somewhat awkwardly moving away to join Nagisa and the others, who were out on the lawn celebrating.

A small smile crossed Makoto’s face as he flipped through the album. Truly representative of Kou, he thought, noticing the many pictures focused solely on muscles, with little cheerful comments scribbled in the margins. He had to give her credit, though- she was always optimistic, extremely determined, and had the energy to keep the entire team in line. Kou’s seemingly endless patience was something to be admired.

She had taken the time to organize the album by team member. Nagisa, the silly and perhaps least mature of their team, yet the one member that could be counted on to always see the best in things and make all of them happy. Rei, socially awkward but with a hearty dose of logic and seriousness to keep them all thinking realistically. Haru...

The blue-eyed boy walked with a silent tread and sat down next to Makoto, who had to clamp a hand over his own mouth to withhold a surprised cry. “Haru-chan!” he said breathlessly, “Don’t do that...you know I hate being scared.”

Haru gave a noncommittal grunt and looked down at the photo album.

“Do you remember this?” Makoto murmured, pointing down to one of the photos. It appeared as though Kou had been able to snap a picture of them going out to sea, during their ocean training session. “I guess I never properly thanked you for saving me, so...”

“It’s fine,” Haruka said, his voice completely devoid of emotion (as it often was), his hand accidentally brushing Makoto’s as he reached to turn to the next page (he had looked through the album already, and the next page had some very nice shots of the ocean that he wanted to admire). As for Makoto, he quickly drew his hand back, feeling heat rise to his face.

How long had he been in love with Haruka Nanase? Months? Years? Since they had known each other? No, it couldn’t have been love back then. They were merely children, friends who had no idea what love really felt like, but had seen it in the eyes of their parents, in the hugs of siblings, in the meows of the two cats who grew old together on the stairs next to their houses. Makoto didn’t know when friendship became more than that for him, a love that transcended more than that between friends. How many nights had he lain in his bed, looking up at the stars he had painted on his ceiling, and thought about his friend’s azure eyes, the effortless grace with which he swam through water, his hands that lightly held the pencil as he sketched, the hands that could maybe, one day, just maybe, clasp his...but no. It wasn’t meant to be. Makoto was terrified of hurting those around him, and if he would hurt Haru by admitting his feelings, then he never would.

If they just remained friends, it would be alright. Everything would be the same. Everyone would be happy. Just like they were now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I'm very sorry this took so long to write! My summer is so busy...taking classes to get ahead in the morning, and SAT classes from afternoon till night. Needless to say, I haven't had much time to write or do anything but study and do homework.
> 
> I was debating whether or not to make this purely a friendship story, or something with a bit of love in it. But I'm evil and I like throwing a bunch of feels in with my stories >:D No, I'm just kidding ( maybe). When I originally tried to think up the entire plot of this story, I vaguely figured that I wanted to include some romance, but not make it at the forefront of the story. Makoto and Haruka are, first and foremost, friends. I'm writing this story with that in mind, but still, I won't forget that there's an element of romance in here, so fear not, my fellow Makoharu/ Tachibanana fans!   
> Just watched the premiere of the second season yesterday. The distance between Makoto and the other members in the ED, as well as Haruka crying, seem a bit ominous to me...
> 
> We're off to a bit of a slow start in the story, but things will quickly begin to change. Be ready c:


	3. Comforting Existence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a peace of mind that comes from knowing nothing separates us.

[ Please note that I did skip a year. This is Haruka and Makoto's senior year. ]

* * *

 

The excitement in the air was tangible. May. A month before everyone would be freed from the prison known as school and allowed to go on summer break- but for the Iwatobi team, this was a bittersweet month. It was the last full month they would have together, before Makoto and Haruka would leave the school forever, and go out into the world to find their fortunes.

“Ne, Haru-chan,” Nagisa remarked one breezy day, “Remember when we were younger, and we talked about what we wanted to be when we grew up?”

Haruka nodded, his eyes fixated on the pool they were approaching. Nagisa seemed undaunted by his obvious act of half-listening, and continued on.

“You said you wanted to be a chef, right? You should open a cafe here, in Iwatobi, so we can all stay together!”

At these words, Haru’s eyes widened imperceptibly. It was too little of a movement for anyone to notice, except for Makoto. Haru and Makoto had been friends for so long that Makoto had become accustomed to noticing even the slightest hints of emotion from the usually stoic Haruka. The raven-haired boy’s shock at Nagisa’s statement, therefore, did not go unnoticed by Makoto.

Had Haru...considered moving away?

* * *

 

Swimming laps, he found, was a good opportunity to muse about the world. There was no sound underwater except for the rhythmic splashing from strokes. If he wasn't focusing on improving, Makoto could just swim freely. Repetitive. Right arm up, turn the arm so that the top of the hand faces the body, down, back into the water, left arm, near the flags, two strokes, turn in the midst of a stroke, flip, push off, and the cycle began again. Backstroke was natural for him, and he didn't even need to think about the process. Makoto looked up at the sky, studied the wisps of clouds, and he thought.  

What did he want to do with his life? As Nagisa had pointed out, they had all shared their dreams for the future when they were children, but now, some of them seemed impractical. A faint smile brushed Makoto's face as he remembered Haruka declaring that he wanted to be a merman, and Nagisa's futile efforts to convince him that it simply wasn't possible. After all this water, though, Makoto didn't think he'd still want to be a fireman. But when he really thought about it, had he also considered moving away? No, Makoto had always wanted to stay in Iwatobi. He was the type to stay close to home. Perhaps he would open a veterinary office in the town. Yes, animals did seem to take a liking to him, and it was a more peaceful job than being a fireman. Being a veterinarian would be a task that would come naturally to him. Something to be beneficial to the small community. Makoto had an earnest desire to help people, regardless of how he felt. His philosophy was that it was much better to contribute to the general happiness of everyone than to sacrifice that for one’s singular emotions. If Haruka left Iwatobi, though...Haru was such an integral part of his life, that constant presence by his side, that it would be strange without him. Oh, why not admit it? Makoto knew he’d be lonely without his best friend. Forget the fact that he was hopelessly in love with Haru; they were friends first and foremost. Even as a child, Makoto had imagined Haruka's steadfast presence next to him in all his future scenarios. He could never predict what Haruka would be doing, but he knew for sure that Haru was always there. Perhaps, though, it wouldn't turn out that way. The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry, and leave us with nothing but grief and pain. Makoto wasn't good at English, but that was the one line that had stood out to him out of all the literature they had read. The thought that even the most carefully planned out things could still end up going different ways in the end...well, it made him feel insecure, to say the least, about how the future would be.

Makoto's reverie was broken by a shrill whistle blast, courtesy of Kou. Ah, she really did love using that to order them around. He turned, pushed off the wall once more, and swam slowly into the wall. As for the rest of practice, it was consumed by swimming that required concentrating. Sprints with seemingly ridiculous intervals [ why did Makoto even think he could have made those times? ], diving practice, and, for some terrible reason, somebody had added a breathing pyramid set to the practice schedule. Really, it was unnecessary. Makoto swam backstroke and was used to being able to breathe as much as needed, and breathing pyramids just felt unnatural for him. 

He was almost relieved when practice was over. A part of Makoto wanted to ask Haruka if he planned to leave Iwatobi, but another part of him didn't want to say anything, for fear of what the answer might be. They departed in silence, the quiet to be shattered a moment later as a familiar voice called to them.

"Haruka! Makoto! Glad I caught you guys," Rin shouted from further down the street, "Our practice just got out, too. Anyway, Haru, since I'm here, want to race?"

Makoto sighed inwardly as Haru tore off his clothes ( he wasstill  wearing his swimsuit under his uniform, for some reason ), and didn’t even attempt to stop him as he practically flew up to the starting block, where Rin was waiting. Before, Makoto would have tried to prevent him from impulsively taking action, as Haru tended to do...but now, things were different. Haruka had some sort of fixation upon Rin. His desires had developed from simply swimming in any sort of water to racing, but only against the sharp-toothed Rin, who constantly provoked him. There wasn’t anything really bad about it. Haruka’s swimming times had improved greatly, and he’d gained a competitive streak. And Makoto wanted to be a good friend. He wouldn’t get in the way.

When Rin and Haruka raced, it was as though they were a perfect match for each other. They swam at an equal pace, swam the same stroke, glided through the water in that same graceful way, albeit more aggressively on Rin’s side. Makoto and Haru could never be like that. Haruka only swam freestyle. Makoto could swim freestyle, but he wouldn’t look as nice as Rin did. The two of them were the best swimmers he knew, there was no doubt about that. Makoto wouldn’t deny that he was alright at swimming, but he could never near the level of perfection that was displayed by Rin and Haruka. Maybe it was due to their pacing, due to the fact that they were always in sync when they were in the water, that Rin could be a better friend than Makoto was... Yet he displayed his usual smile and uttered kind wishes for the two of them when they said that they were going to go try swimming in the ocean after they had raced a hundred of freestyle. _You would just be a third wheel_ , he told himself, _And you have to take care of the twins_. Makoto waved, forced a smile, tried to make sure that it didn’t turn down at the corners when he turned away. It would be so selfish to even suppose that Haruka would be his best friend. Friends moved on. There would always be somebody who was left behind.

A lot can change in a year, but a lot can stay the same. Was it too much to wish for some things to stay the way they were? Did everything have to change, to run by at the speed of light? Makoto wanted to catch up, he wanted to be able to keep pace just as Rin and Haru did, he didn’t want to be forgotten. But Makoto was tentative, scared to step out into the light, always wanted to best for others and then hurt himself in the process. Never before had Makoto feared summer. Now, it just seemed like something that could bring nothing but pain and loss. He held desperately to May. It could be the last month that the waters were tranquil.

Things change, and people change. That fateful day, May 31st, Haruka sat next to him on the seawall and said that he was going to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a difficult decision to determine whether or not I wanted to include spoilers from season two in it. I think I might hint at some events from season two, but there won't be anything major, so if you haven't watched Eternal Summer yet, fear not! though I do recommend that you give it a try. I'm liking it a lot better than season one so far.   
> Anyway, enjoy and until next time!


End file.
